Swimming appliance



Feb. 25, 1930. T. B. SYKES SWIMMING APPLIANCE Filed April 22, 1927 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- THOMAS BEAUMONT SYKES, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM FRANKLYN SYKES, A MINOR MORE, MARYLAND, AND ONE-FOURTH (T. BEAUMONT SYKES, TRUSTEE), OF BALTI- TO JOHN E. SPRINGER AND ONE-FOURTH TO H. SQHURLBUT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND SWIMMING AI'PLIANGE Application filed April 22,

and to increase the effectiveness of the propelling strokes of the hands, and, consequently, to increase the speed of the person making use of the same.

A further important object of the inven- 1 tion is to provide for devices of the character mentioned, and such as will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, .as well as to be easily and readily attached to the hands or removed therefrom as occasion requires. s With the foregoing and other objects in view, Figure 1 is a top plan View of one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is a similar View of a modified l form thereof, and Figure 3 another similar view of a second modified form of the same.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 1, the first form of the invention comprises a sheet of any. flexible material, such as sheet rubber, rubber webbing, or the like, formed to provide a palm portion and a wrist portion 11. Spaced along the outer edge of the palm portion 10 are a series of finger and thumb engaging stalls 12, which are formed of the same material as the body portions 10 and 11, and which are to be cemented or otherwise secured in proper position. A strap portion 13 is provided to be en-' gaged across the back of the hand to secure the palm portion 10 against the palm of the hand when in use. This strap 13 may be cut from one side of the same piece of material forming the two portions 10 and 11, and has its free ends secured to the upper face ofthe palm portion 10 in a manner to form a loop for the insertion offthe hand under the same. To secure the wrist'portion 11 to the wrist of a person, two strap members 14 and are secured at the opposite side edges of the wrist portion 11, and the strap portion 1a is provided with a buckle or other similar connectin g device 16 for engagement therewith of the free end of the other strap 15. i

In Figure 2, a modified form of the device 1927. Serial No.. 185,886.

is shown, and the same consists of a palm portion 10 and a wrist portion 11'. The finger and thumb engaging portions 12 in this instance are formed by pairs of parallel slits being cut through the material in the proper positions inward of the upper or outer edge of the palm portion, substantially as shown. A strap 13 is to be formed across the palm portion 10 by two parallel slits cut through this portion of the material for the insertion of the hand beneath the same. WVrist engaging straps 14 and 15, of the same material as the body portions of the device, are to be secured at one end to the opposite side edges of the wrist portion 11' and I provided with a connecting buckle or the like 16. To prevent possible splitting or tearing of the material at the opposite ends of the slits forming the strap portion 13', suitable patches 17 of the material are cemented or otherwise suitably secured across the ends of the slits and beyond the same as shown. In the case of the use of rubber sheeting or the like, these patches 17 and the ends of the wrist straps 14' and 15 may be vulcanized in place, if desired, in lieu of cementing, as aforesaid.

In the form of the device, as shown in Fig ure 3, the palm and wrist portions 10" and 11" are as herein before described, as is also the Wrist securing straps 14" and 15", together with the connecting buckle 16". The hand. engaging strap 13 is also to be made and connected to'the palm portion 10" as in the first instance of the invention. However, the finger stalls 12 are formed by looped portions of a strip of the same material as the body of the device, laid along the outer edge of the palm portion 10 and cemented or otherwise secured tothe latter at points between the finger end engaging loops 12". The thumb stall 12 is formed of a single loop of the material cemented or otherwise secured at its opposite side edges to the palm portion in proper position to be engaged by the thumb.

These devices or gloves are, of course, to be made in pairs corresponding to the right and left hands of a person, and are of a flexible,

and preferable stretcha ole material, to permit of the ready engagement of the same on the hands of a person but, when so engaged, will snugly conform to the engaged parts of the hands as to remain firmly in position, and, at the same time, allow for,closing and spreading movements of the fingers of the hands as is required in swimming. When the fingers are spread to a maximum, a maximum propelling effect will be obtained by the corresponding stretching of the-material of the palm portion.

In the form of the glove, as in Figure 2, it

is to be noted that, the palm and wrist portions across an intermediate portion of the same to provide a strap portion to engage over the back of the hand, reinforcements secured to the material of the hand portion at the opposite ends of the pair of transversely extending slits, and means carried by the wrist portion for securing the appliance to the Wrist of the person.

T. BEAUMONT SYKES.

10' and 11- together with the finger and thumb tion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming glove comprising a single sheet of material having the form of the hand and wristportions of a person when extended, the hand portion having spaced pairs of parallel slits formed inwardly of its outer edge to provide finger and thumb engaging portions, said hand portion having a pair of parallel slits extending diagonally across an intermediate portion of the same to provide a hand engaging strap portion, and means carried by the wrist portion for securing the appliance to the Wrist of the person.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming glove comprising a single sheet of elas-. tic material having the form of the hand and wrist portions of a person when extended, the hand portion having spaced pairs of parallel slits formed inwardly of its forward edge to provide finger and thumb end engaging portions, said hand portion having a pair of slits extending transversely across an intermediate portion of the same to provide a strap portion adapted to. engage over the back of the hand, and means carried by the wrist portion for securing the appliance to the Wrist of the person.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming glove comprising a single sheet of rubberized material having the form of the hand and wrist portions of a person when extended, the handportion having spaced pairs of parallel slits formed inwardly of its orward edge to provide finger and thumb end I engaging portions, said hand portion having I a pair of parallel slits extending transversely 

